This is so monumental. I mean, it was ideal conditions (really cold, last book in a series, I'd had alot of caffeine and possibly a nap) and so I felt pretty good about it. Unfortunately, the book itself didn't leave a huge impression on me.

It was difficult after reading the whole series in a matter of two weeks to pick up this fifth, and final, book of the series, and have the time line jump ahead a few years. Cabot took the time to fill the reader in on the changes that had happened in Jess's life, but it still left a sour taste in my mouth.

Jess is no longer the silly 16 year old girl who rushes head first into dangerous situations without a thought; she has seen things now. And these things have scarred her, and made her lose her way. In this way, Cabot has created the perfect "rite of passage" book.

She has been reckless.She has been invaluable.She has been lost.And now, she must find herself again.

After her "recovery" period, Jess is able to put her life back into order, and see what matters, what doesn't, and who she wants to be. Jess still carries many of the same charming characteristics into her adult life, but she comes to understand the value in nonviolence, and that if you take your time, your plans might work out to be a little bit cleaner and easier.

Overall, the story was...ok. I wasn't that impressed. It was a cookie cutter kind of book, to tie up the series in a pretty little bow. She delivered it to her fans and said "Here! Are you happy now?" And honestly, I'm not. Not badly written, not a bad story, but not one that I will tell all of my friends they have to run out and read. ( )

Between the ending of Sanctuary and this book, I had really hoped for a better conclusion to 1800 Where R U altogether. There are some good points, but a lot of the book falls short.

This another character-driven book, as the central mystery just serves to bring Rob back to Jess in order to find his sister. I like that it’s a callback to the first book, where Jess was finding kids who didn’t want to be found, although the circumstances are a lot different and more dangerous.

I really wanted to see more done with Jess’s post-traumatic stress. It’s mentioned throughout the book, after her experiences in the Middle East, but it never plays a huge role in the story. She talks about having nightmares, except that they’ve conveniently stopped right around the book’s beginning, and I would think that she would have a hard time adjusting. Instead, the character plot is driven around what Jess really wants to do with her life. Her big character moment isn’t with the creep-of-the-book or rescuing kids, but instead, telling off her mother. Rob’s plotline is pretty much lifted from Michael’s in The Princess Diaries: he spends the time he and Jess are broken trying to prove himself worthy. Granted, I think Rob’s way is more believable, but there’s really not much to him aside from “Oh, btw, I have a sister now.”

Surprisingly, Douglas had the most interesting character development in between books 4 and 5. When we last saw him, he was starting to move on with his life and dealing with his schizophrenia. In Missing You, he’s transformed himself into a confident speaker with a goal. I liked Douglas throughout the entire series, so seeing him get a happy ending made me smile.

I do wish this book could have been better, there were a lot of interesting plot threads that never really go anywhere. It’s pretty much summed up by Jess about “The one person I could never find was myself,” but given all of the things she’s been through in the course of the books, it didn’t feel like as if she lost her way in life. Instead, the book feels like it’s just wrapping up loose ends and calling it a conclusion.( )

I am so glad the author decided to write this book to finish the series without leaving us hanging on story lines. I really enjoyed the series and the TV show that was on Lifetime a few years ago. It was nice how the series was mentioned in this last book too. I loved how Jess was such a spitfire and wise beyond her years. This series was so good I couldn't keep the books to myself so decided to donate my books to a school library. ( )

Wikipedia in English

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▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

Ever since a walk home on a particularly stormy day, Jessica Mastriani has had an ability like no other. She became known worldwide as Lightning Girl—a psychic who could find the location of anyone, dead or alive. Jess finally had no choice but to embrace her newfound talent, and ended up lending her skills to the U.S. government.

But her work for them has taken a terrible toll, and Jess resurfaces months later a shadow of her former self, her powers gone, Lightning Girl no more. Her only hope is starting over in a new place, a big city where nobody knows her. It's only when Rob Wilkins unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep that she's forced to face her past. Rob, all the way from back home, needs her help. But how can Jess, her powers gone, find anyone, let alone the sister of a man she once loved . . . when she can't even find herself?

Ever since a walk home on a particularly stormy day, Jessica Mastriani has had an ability like no other. She became known worldwide as Lightning Girl—a psychic who could find the location of anyone, dead or alive. Jess finally had no choice but to embrace her newfound talent, and ended up lending her skills to the U.S. government.

But her work for them has taken a terrible toll, and Jess resurfaces months later a shadow of her former self, her powers gone, Lightning Girl no more. Her only hope is starting over in a new place, a big city where nobody knows her. It's only when Rob Wilkins unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep that she's forced to face her past. Rob, all the way from back home, needs her help. But how can Jess, her powers gone, find anyone, let alone the sister of a man she once loved . . . when she can't even find herself?